"The Boulder Police Department does not tolerate this kind of behavior," Beckner said in a statement. "Police officers and other members of this department will be held accountable for their actions and behavior, and we want the community to know how seriously we take this breach of trust."

Brent R. Curnow (Boulder County Sheriff's Office)

Both men are facing nine charges each -- including three felonies -- after an arrest affidavit alleged texts between the two show they planned to kill the elk as a trophy.

According to the affidavit, Carter mentioned he planned on shooting the elk as early as Dec. 26.

On Jan 1, Carter -- who was on-duty -- texted Curnow throughout the day about shooting the elk, saying "he's gonna die." After finding and killing the elk near Ninth Street and Mapleton Avenue with a shotgun, Curnow, who was off duty, came to haul the carcass away in his pickup truck.

Carter initially told police the elk was injured and that he felt it needed to be put down. But Carter never reported the shooting to his supervisors, and a necropsy of the elk meat showed no signs the animal had been injured before it was shot.

During the investigation, no neighbors who saw the elk in the hours leading up to the shooting noticed it was injured and also said it never appeared to be aggressive.

Even though both men resigned, the internal personnel investigation will continue, Boulder police said. The officers had been on unpaid administrative leave after the arrest was announced.

Beckner indicated Friday the officers could have been facing termination if they had not resigned. The internal investigation is expected to take a few more weeks.

Carter had been with the Boulder Police Department for five years, while Curnow was with the department for 14 years.

Court documents show Curnow -- along with three other Boulder officers -- also was the subject of a civil lawsuit for excessive force in 2001, but a jury sided with the officers in that case.

According to court documents, Dana Hays was stopped by a Boulder police officer in 1999 on suspicion of DUI. According to a police report, three officers -- including Curnow -- responded after the first officer requested backup. According to the report, Hays was uncooperative with the officers, and suddenly reached into the car and grabbed a pen. The officers grabbed him, and Hays continued to struggle.

But Hays alleged in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court that the force used by the officers was excessive that the officers "unreasonably, maliciously and willfully and wantonly physically assaulted and battered," him, causing him to suffer "extreme emotional injury, severe emotional and mental distress, psychological damage, loss of enjoyment of life."

A jury found that the officers used force in the case, but ruled the force used was not excessive.

Boulder police Officer Sam Carter poses with the carcass of an elk shot by Boulder police on New Year's Day as a Boulder County sheriff's deputy prepares to take a photo. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle on Monday identified Jeff George as the deputy under investigation for helping load the elk into a pickup truck that night. (Photo courtesy Roger Koenig)